Christmas Pageant and Christmas Choirs News

The Christmas Pageant at St. John and St. Mary—it all began in 1987 with about a dozen kids and a few parents, a couple of guitars, carols by the choir, two little lambs and some shepherds’ crooks made in parish workshops. On Christmas Eve, we all watched and listened as our kids became the first to proclaim the Good News of Christmas. Over the years, there have been more kids and more beautiful music, but one thing has remained the same—at the first Mass of Christmas (Christmas Eve at 4 PM), we watch and listen as our kids become the first to proclaim the Good News of Christmas.

There could be no better reason for the Christmas Pageant. And yet, there is another reason, which is equally as good. On the days before Christmas, where can we find our kids? In church! What better place to prepare for Christmas!!!

Preparing for the Christmas Pageant

· FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS are our Pageant Kids. No sign up; just show up for rehearsals.

· Boys are Shepherds; costume is an Arab-like headpiece (white cloth and dark headband), SUPPLIED BY PARENTS

· Girls are Angels; costume is a garland halo, which the church will provide on Christmas Eve; each girl carries a battery operated candle, SUPPLIED BY PARENTS. Nothing more, except that each girl will wear her special Christmas dress.

· Mary and Joseph: we will draw the names of two SECOND GRADERS. Calls will be made to see if the kids are willing and able (sometimes, they can’t or just don’t want to). Will keep calling until we get Mary and Joseph. Costumes: the church has the costumes.

· Costumes do NOT come to rehearsals; come with your costume on CHRISTMAS EVE only.

Christmas Pageant Rehearsals for First & Second Graders

(All Rehearsals in Upper Church)

· Wednesday, December 22, 4:00 to 4:45 PM

· Thursday, December 23, 4:00 to 4:45 PM

Music for the Christmas Pageant--Choirs & Youth Ensemble

The Christmas Pageant at St. John and St. Mary would not be the celebration that it is without the beautiful voices and music of our kids. This has always been true and is especially true this year.

Ken Corneille, our Music Director, has formed two children’s choirs: the Regular Children’s Choir (Grades 1-5), which has been rehearsing and performing all year, and a Special Children’s Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8) which is open to all students in those grades who would like to sing for the Christmas Pageant Mass at 4 PM on Christmas Eve. Ken has also formed a Youth Ensemble of Instrumentalists (Grades 5-8).

Rehearsal Schedule for Choirs & Youth Ensemble

(All Rehearsals in Upper Church)

• Special Children’s Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8): Monday, 12/20, 4:00 - 4:45 PM
• Youth Ensemble of Instrumentalists (Grades 5-8): Tuesday, 12/21, 3:45 -4:30 PM
• Regular Children’s Choir (Grades 1-5): Tuesday, 12/21, 5:00 PM

Choirs & Youth Ensemble Join Pageant Kids for Christmas Pageant Rehearsals

BOTH CHOIRS & THE YOUTH ENSEMBLE WILL REHEARSE WITH THE PAGEANT KIDS AT THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT REHEARSALS:

· Wednesday, 12/22, 4:00 – 4:45 PM

· Thursday, 12/23, 4:00 – 4:45 PM

Christmas Eve

· Upper church OPENS at 3:00 PM. Church and Parish Office Closed until then.

· Choirs & Youth Ensemble should arrive at 3:00 PM sharp.

· Pageant Kids should arrive no later than 3:15 PM.

· Pageant Girls: report to Community Room A.

· Pageant Boys: report to Skelly Hall.

· Music begins at approximately 3:25 PM

· Pageant begins at approximately 3:45 PM (***After Pageant, parents come to sanctuary to bring kids back to their families for Mass)

· Mass begins at 4:00 PM

Third Sunday of Advent

The Third Sunday of Advent! And it's all about Advent Readiness.

The Middlers heard Jesus in today's gospel ask the crowd, who had come to eavesdrop on questions from John the Baptist: "Who did you go out to the desert to see?" The possible answers were either John the Baptist or Jesus himself. But when we listened carefully to Jesus, we heard something else. And that's when the mirror came out, and the Middlers understood exactly what Jesus was trying to say. We go out to the desert to look in the mirror and see ourselves.

Ask your Middler about a good friend of mine, Mary Alice, and a friend of hers, Desda. Let him/her tell you how Mary Alice learned from a homeless woman sitting on a heating grate to look in the mirror and see herself. And when she did, her life was changed, and the lives of so many were made better for it. Let him/her tell you how Desda became Mary Alice's Angel.

I asked the Middlers to email and tell me about their own look in the mirror and if there is anything they're doing for Christmas to see a changed person. So far, I've only heard from one Middler. There's still time, and I would love to hear from others and share what they have to say with the rest of the parish.

The Elementaries gathered as usual for Grace Before Snacks. This week, we prayed a Christmas Grace:

Dear God,

on this special night

we remember how Mary and Joseph

came to Bethlehem looking for shelter,

but found no place to stay.

In our celebration of Jesus' birth,

teach us to welcome him into our homes

by being kind to each other.

Show us how to care for him

by caring for all who need our help.

And bless our Christmas meal

and all of us who share it. Amen.

Christmas Pageant

Our Annual Christmas Pageant is celebrated immediately before the 4PM Christmas Eve Mass on December 24th

• First and Second Graders are the Pageant Kids
• Rehearsals: Wednesday (12/22) & Thursday (12/23), 4:00 to 4:45 PM
• NO SIGN UP, JUST SHOW UP!!!

Christmas CHOIRS

• Ken Corneille has formed 3 choirs: Regular Children's Choir (Grades 1-5), which has been been rehearsing and performing all year; Regular Youth Choir (Grades 6-8), which has been rehearsing for the last month, and the Special Christmas Choir (Grades 3-8), which is open to all students in those grades and has not met yet

Rehearsal Schedules

• Regular Children's Choir: Tuesdays (12/14 & 21) 5PM
• Regular Youth Choir: Tuesdays (12/14 & 21) 3:45 to 4:30 PM
• Special Christmas Choir: Mondays (12/13 & 20) 4:00 to 4:45 PM, plus Wednesday (12/22) and Thursday (12/23) 4:00 to 4:45 PM

NO KIDSRELIG UNTIL AFTER THE NEW YEAR.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Second Sunday of Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent! We are all waiting. And for the Middlers, it was a big bag of Legos that helped us understand Gospel Waiting.

Unlike what we called “waiting by killing time” at the bus stop, the train station or the doctor’s office; unlike “waiting by anticipating” your next birthday, summer vacation or Santa at Christmas; unlike “waiting with anxiety” for the game to end, for the test to begin or the marks to be posted; Gospel Waiting isn’t even waiting at all. It’s bringing the future into the now.

We looked at our bag of legos and understood that what would be was right in front of us if we just made it happen now. And we dug in and made it happen. In fact, we made a whole lot of things happen. “Prepare the way of the Lord” is not to kill time waiting or either becoming too silly or serious about it all. It is to make the Lord’s coming tomorrow happen in our lives today. We have to make it happen. In fact, we have to make a whole lot of things happen.

The Elementaries heard all about Thanksgiving with our new grandson Asher (4 weeks old), and how everyone who came to dinner, from the grumpiest old man to the cutest little kid, wanted to do one thing—hold Asher. And it was a Christmas light bulb moment. When those shepherds and magi arrived at the stable, we all bet that nobody knelt down like we usually see them depicted. We bet that everybody asked Mary, “Can we hold him?” And we told ourselves that that’s what Christmas is all about—God came as a baby because he simply wants to be held. And Raymond North taught us the last and best lesson of all—God can still be held by each and every one of us in the Eucharist.

Christmas Pageant News

Our Annual Christmas Pageant will be celebrated immediately before the 4 PM Christmas Eve Mass on December 24^th. Every year, our 1^st and 2^nd Graders become our Pageant Kids. Rehearsals for the Pageant will be on Wednesday, December 22^nd and Thursday, December 23^rd, from 4 to 4:45 PM.

Calendar Reminder

NO KidsRelig this Wednesday, December 8^th. And Tuesday, December 7^th and Thursday, December 9^th are our last classes before Christmas.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

The First Sunday of Advent

The First Sunday of Advent! “Therefore,” says the Gospel, “stay awake!” In other words, keep your eyes open.

The Middlers this week discovered a scientific fact, which seems counter-intuitive. It is humanly impossible to walk a straight line while blindfolded. In fact, if allowed to walk long enough, a blindfolded person will begin to walk in circles. In order to walk a straight line, a person must not only have his/her eyes open, but must also be looking at something straight ahead.

While the Middlers lined up on either side of the middle aisle in church, three volunteers were blindfolded and told that they were pointing directly at the back doors of the church. All they had to do was walk straight. None could do it, as they bumped into one line of friends on one side and then on the other. One volunteer even began to walk in circles as she approached the back of the church.

The warning in the gospel to stay awake doesn’t mean to caffeinate ourselves with worry about the Last Days. It means to keep our eyes on Jesus and walk towards him always. Only then will we walk straight.

+++

Much to do to prepare for Christmas! Pray that we prepare well.

Christmas Pageant News

Next week, watch for news in the Parish Bulletin, on the Parish Website http://sjsmrcc.com/ and right here in the KidsRelig Blog about our Annual Christmas Pageant at the 4 PM Christmas Eve Mass and the rehearsals for the Pageant Kids and the Choir.

Calendar Reminder

The Annual KidsRelig Calendar is always available on the Religious Education Page of the Parish Website (http://sjsmrcc.com/). The Annual Calendar contains the schedule of all our session days and when classes are NOT in session. In December, please note that there is NO KIDSRELIG for GRAFFLIN on Wednesday, December 8, which means that the LAST CLASS BEFORE CHRISTMAS for Grafflin is Wednesday, December 1. The LAST CLASSES BEFORE CHRISTMAS for the Tuesday (Bell and Westorchard) and Thursday (Seven Bridges and Roaring Brook) Sessions will be Tuesday, December 7 and Thursday, December 9.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Thanksgiving 2010

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

from

KidsRelig

A Thanksgiving Grace

With thankfulness, O Lord above,

We bless you for your gift of love,

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food and all our friends,

For everything your goodness sends.

Open our hearts and hands to bless

The poor and all who have much less.

Please, keep us close to you each day,

And bless this meal, O Lord, we pray.

Amen.

Good News for Christ the King--The Last Sunday of the Church Year

Jesus is enthroned as king--on a cross. He never stops turning our world upside-down and making us look, not at what we can see, but at what we can't.

The Middlers went to the circus to see the clowns. And the clowns stepped into the center ring--goofy looking, silly looking and even a little ugly looking. And we laughed! Then, there were those clowns who are always getting hurt--bonged on the head, slapped in the face, tripped to the floor. And we laughed! Finally, the sad sacks--always making mistakes, always getting it wrong, always screwing up. And we laughed.

Three crosses--one good guy in the middle and two bad guys. Bad guy #1 looks at Jesus--ugly, hurt and all screwed up. And he laughs! Because he's convinced that the ugly, the hurt and the screwed up belong only to Jesus. It all keeps him apart from Jesus and lets him put Jesus down. The laugh of bad guy #1 says: I'm better than you.

And bad guy #2 looks at Jesus and says: You're ugly, you're hurt, you're all screwed up--and so am I; we're in this mess together. And Jesus says: Since you could look at me--ugly, hurt and screwed up--and see yourself and us together, then together we shall be forever--in Paradise.

And the Middlers said: Got it!!! Jesus is the clown and the clowns are us.

It was off to the beaches with the Elementaries to meet Dr. Seuss and the Sneetches. There were star-belly Sneetches, who thought they were better than plain-bellies. A smart guy, named Sylvester McMonkey McBean, figured out that whatever kept Sneetches apart could make him rich. He put stars on and took stars off and laughed at the Sneetches, who'd rather empty their wallets than empty the hearts. McBean thought Sneetches would never learn, but he was wrong. They finally got it: "That day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches.

And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches."

And the Elementaries got it too. Are we better enough to laugh at another or good enough to be one with each other?

Three crosses and a king, who becomes a clown, so that we can all be clowns together (or maybe Sneetches)!

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Middlers were dealt cards from an oversized deck of playing cards. As they turned over the Ace of Spades, the King of Hearts or one of the many other cards in our hand, they found the words of this week’s gospel. Scary words about wars, famine, disease, earthquakes and persecution! Stuff we don’t want to think about and would like to avoid, but we can’t. They’re the cards we’re dealt, and they’re for real. We discovered this, as we pulled out the headlines from around the world—terrorism is Afghanistan, famine in Uganda, earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Indonesia and cholera in Port-au-Prince.

Why all the scary stuff, and why from Jesus? Because Jesus does not avoid the truth. The scary stuff is there, and it is evil. Even Jesus could not make it disappear; he had to struggle against it. He can’t make it disappear for us either, but he invites us to join in that struggle.

That brought us to the last playing card—Jesus rising from the dead and the gospel words: Be faithful, and evil will never destroy you. Remember, resurrection is the triumph of the cross.

The Elementaries also learned about bad things—getting sick, getting a flat tire on your bike, getting in a fight with your brother or sister. All bad! But in everything bad, there was good to be found—mom taking good care, dad helping to fix that flat, the chance to say “sorry.” Today’s gospel tells us that there is plenty of bad, but also every chance to find good. It all depends on how hard we work at it.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Thanksgiving Outreach Weekend--November 13th&14th

Our Annual Thanksgiving Outreach

November 13th and 14th

Please bring needed items to all Masses

FROZEN TURKEYS

(Please, no larger than 15lbs.)

Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, Potatoes (sweet/white), Canned Fruit, Canned Vegetables, Turkey Gravy, Cookies/Pies, Rolls, Juice/Cider/Coffee/Tea, Soup

Your donations will benefit many this holiday season through our parish's contributions to local food pantries. Your generosity will also make possible the sharing of Thanksgiving Dinners with families in our own community and parish.

All are grateful for the outpouring of your support, but especially those who receive your gifts.

Good News for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s gospel, a wise guy comes up to Jesus to pick a fight. And, in so many words, Jesus tells him, “Stop arguing with me about all the stupid stuff; learn to think outside the box, where you will find only one truth--God. As all the stupid stuff changes and changes and changes again—both in life and death—our God remains the same. So, be as true to God as God remains true to all of us. And don’t sweat the details.”

Ask the Middlers about the box, and about the details that keep changing, even as God remains the same.

And then, ask the Elementaries about Asher—our new grandson, born Sunday, October 31st. The Elementaries saw a picture of Asher when he was 4 hours old and pictures of Hudson, his big brother, and Catie, his mom, at the very same age. Then, they saw a summertime picture of Hudson, who is now 3 1/2 years old, and one of Catie at 3 ½. Oh, the changes! And for more changes, they saw Catie being silly as a teenager at Greeley and real serious as a mom in her Air Force uniform. Then, the kids noticed the blanks next to Asher’s picture and knew right away that they were waiting to be filled with more changes.

Through all these changes, the kids got it—one thing remained the same--Pop’s love for Catie and Hudson and Asher!

Details change—don’t sweat them; God remains the same. If we only think outside the box, we will find the One who is always true, and there we will find ourselves-- just as true to the One who always loves us.!

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree—one of our favorite gospel stories in KidsRelig. A little guy with a bad reputation in town, Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus. And he had to try harder than everyone else in the crowd just to get a glimpse of the Lord. He does try harder, and he not only sees the Lord, but Zacchaeus gets to take him home—not at his invitation, but at the invitation of Jesus. It is that invitation that saves Zacchaeus and changes his life forever.

The Middlers first read the Gospel. Then, I reminded them that I was waiting for news from my daughter Catie that our second grandchild was born. (At this writing, no news yet!) I showed them that I had gone out and bought a new copy of “The Handbook for Grandparents,” just to brush up. I went down the checklist, and I figured I was OK with new DVDs, the rules for soccer and a good enough pitching arm for kiddie baseball. But then, I came to video games, and I was lost. A volunteer came to my rescue. He explained that these games were very expensive. The good thing, however, is that you don’t just play them once. In fact, you never do, because first chances always turn out to be losers. Video games always have second chances. In fact, you can try again and again and again.

When the Elementaries arrived, we chose players from each of the 2^nd Grades for a long-jump contest. The prize was a great big Halloween frosted cookie. Fourth Graders held the starting and finishing lines, and after each jump, the finishing line moved. The players had to try harder and harder if they really wanted that cookie. And try harder they did. They tried so hard that each was a winner.

The story of Zacchaeus is a story of second chances for all of us, who are freely invited to try our hardest always to see Jesus. And if we do, to let Jesus change our lives.

Winners!!!

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Two guys go up to the temple to pray. One is a real big shot, who loves to brag about himself. He even brags to God. The other knows he can always use a little help, especially from God. And that’s how he prays.

No problem understanding this week’s gospel in KidsRelig. Both Middlers and Elementaries knew what a bragger was, and everyone seemed to know somebody who was always bragging. To understand the gospel even better, we built a pyramid of boxes with all different colors—reds, blues, greens and one box of gold. The kids told us that the gold goes on top like the big shot, who always brags that he/she is #1. They also told us that as much as the big shot brags his/her way to the top, the rest of us are made to feel real little at the bottom.

With one swift kick to the colors below, our pyramid came tumbling down—big shot gold and all. And we reminded ourselves of the gospel message. We are all in it together. And sometimes we’re up and sometimes we’re down. But no matter where we are on the pyramid, we all have to hold each other up. If we don’t, we all come tumbling down.

So, there really is no reason to brag. Top and bottom—a pyramid needs both, or it’s just not a pyramid. Humbling, isn’t it!

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A corrupt judge, an old lady, God the Father, Jesus and us—the characters in our Middle School mime about this week’s gospel. After doing nothing, the corrupt judge finally did something; he gave into the nagging, old lady and gave her what she wanted, but we never find out what that is. She could have been asking for injustice. But, without a thought about the old lady or anyone else, the judge only gave her what she wanted, and not what she needed. Problem: whether nothing or something, the judge never did justice. Because justice begins with listening to the needs of everyone and working hard to satisfy those needs with fairness and equity.

Jesus points to his Father, who listens to our needs. “Trust him,” he tells us, “and if you do, you will pray to him always, and the Father will give you what you need.” Sounds good! But why then is Jesus so sad at the end of the gospel? Because he looks around and doesn’t see us trusting in God enough to pray always.

Our Elementaries played a game that tested their trust. The two First Grade teams each received one ball, one throw and one basket in which to score. Fair, right? Not exactly: one team’s ball and basket were big, making it easy to score; the other’s were real small, making it almost impossible to win. The kids got the injustice right away and made their complaints heard. But I told them I didn’t care; then I asked if that were true would they ever trust me again. “NO!!!” Jesus tells that we can always trust God to do what is right for all of us—one at a time. And if we believe that and trust in God, we will always pray to God to do what is just right and give us what we need.

And that’s the Good News from KidsRelig.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A tornado alert canceled KidsRelig on Tuesday, our first day. But it figures that it would take a tornado to shut us down. After all we're in the God-business, and we only obey acts of God.

When we finally got started on Wednesday, the first Elementaries arrived. We all went into church, led by our new First Graders. One of our Fourth Graders, Marc, told us all what a saint is--a holy person, who loves to know a lot about God. Matt from Third Grade explained what special friends are--people who trust and respect each other and like to hang out with each other. We figured that saints are God's special friends, and we looked around the church and saw that it was filled with saints--special friends of God, who came to KidsRelig because they love to know a lot about God; they trust and respect God, and they want to hang out together with God. With all these saints around us, it was natural that we pray their very own prayer--the Litany of Saints, and our newest saints helped us out. We called up each new First Grader to say his/her first name out loud. Right before each name we said, "Saint," and right after we said, "Pray for us." It was to the sounds of this litany that the First Graders were sent off with their teachers to class. Then, the other grades followed.

On Thursday, our second day Elementaries were just as saintly as the Wednesday crowd.

For the first Middlers, who arrived Thursday, it was all about spirits, as we gathered in church before class. We met one of those spirits we all all meet from time to time--a ghost--a spirit we dream up in our brains to scare us out of ourselves. Then, with the toss of a couple footballs, we met the spirit that fills our bones and makes us try as hard as we can to achieve what we think we must. And then some cheerleaders arrived with that spirit that stirs our feelings to cheer ourselves and others. Spirits all, but not the Spirit we really wanted to meet--the Spirit of God with us and us with God. Like someone special in our lives, whom we know so well and love so much that he/she is always with us no matter how far away (I gave my grandson Hudson as an example), the Spirit of God can always be present to us. And like that someone special, it is that Spirit who makes us think and say and do only what makes God proud of us and never ashamed.

Our teachers gathered around our kids and prayed that the Spirit fill them all with wisdom, understanding, right judgment and courage, with knowledge and reverence and wonder at God's presence.

And so KidsRelig began!

Good News for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

How does such a dishonest guy get such a big role in today’s gospel? And get a big round of applause from Jesus himself! Because Jesus knows his audience. Like the dishonest steward, Jesus knows we’re all “not strong enough” to do a lot of things we have to do and “ashamed” of some of the things we have done. And yet, each is called to holiness, which today’s gospel equates with a call to wholeness. Unashamed of our weaknesses, we are made strong enough to be ourselves in everything we do—no matter how big or small. It is only in this wholeness that we breach the divide between the Godly and the ungodly and make all things holy.

Speaking of a call . . .

Calling All Parents:

Register for KidsRelig

Now!

Use the link to our Online Registration Form in the Registration Email you received in August

OR

GO TO THE PARISH WEBSITE

www.sjsmrcc.com

CLICK ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

(on the right of the HomePage)

READ THE WELCOME & GET LINKS TO

*Registration Process & Form

*Fee Information

*Opening Days & Weekly Schedule

*Bus Information

Makes no difference how you get to us; just know that you and your kids are warmly welcomed.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Outreach Weekend--September 11 & 12

Outreach is this weekend!!!

We are asked to bring the following items to all of the Masses: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Tuna Fish, Apple Juice, Rice, Fruit Rollups, Spaghetti Sauce, Canned Soups & Stews, Dried Black Beans, Canned Vegetables, Cereal (hot & cold), Pasta, Macaroni & Cheese, Canned Fruit, Diapers & Baby Wipes and Jello & Pudding Mixes.

The Committee will be at church to collect these items and any money donations you would care to make.

Due to the summer months, food pantries throughout the area are low on inventory. Your help is needed, and, as always, your generosity is much appreciated.

Good News for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

And Jesus asks the crowd in today’s gospel: “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?” As I watch the online registrations for KidsRelig fill up our spreadsheet and open the mail to count permission slips and checks, hear from teachers ready to volunteer again and others willing to volunteer for the first time, I get the sense that we’re building something here, and it’s not a tower. I also get the sense that whatever the cost in time, talent, energy and money sacrifices are being made for the completion of what we’re just beginning to build. It is so very good to watch.

OPENING DAYS for KidsRelig

Tues 9/28: 2:45-3:45 (Bell) 3:45-4:45 (Westorchard)

Wed 9/29: 3:45-4:45 (Grafflin)

Thurs 9/30: 2:45-3:45 (Seven Bridges) 3:45-4:45 (Roaring Brook)

REGISTRATION for KidsRelig

Registration Emails with a link to our online registration form have gone out to everyone enrolled last year and all First Graders or First Timers who have emailed kidsrelig@optimum.net to let us know they’re coming.

Didn’t get a Registration Email?

Email kidsrelig@optimum.net

Maybe you haven’t updated your email address in our Address Book or we’ve got it wrong. Or maybe you’re a First Grader/First Timer who hasn’t given us a heads-up email that you’re joining us.

KidsRelig Online Registration at 48%

BUS INFORMATION EMAIL BLAST

An Email Blast went out on Wednesday, 9/1, with bus information for Seven Bridges, Westorchard, Grafflin & Roaring Brook. Deadline to register: September 19. Didn’t get it? Email kidsrelig@optimum.net .

* * *

To all our kids starting school this week, we share your pain, but, more importantly, we share your hope for the best school year ever!

* * *

To all our families celebrating Rosh Hashanah, we wish you all the best for the coming year--family, happiness, holiness and peace.

Love,

Deacon Charlie

Good News for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is either eating a meal, planning a meal, serving a meal, dashing to or from a meal or telling some story about a meal. And in all this meal stuff, Jesus teaches us something about ourselves as Christians and as a Christian Community.

That’s just what happens in today’s gospel: “On a Sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees . . . and told a parable . . . [about] a wedding banquet.” (See what I mean!) And what did he teach? An important and timely (or is that timeless?) lesson. “Christian” is not a label, but an attitude. It is an attitude not only of openness, but of aggressive invitation to all who are unlabeled—the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind—those with an inability to pay back our kindness. And when the Christian Community convenes, don’t bother looking around for a place of rank; there aren’t any. All of the unlabeled, who have been invited in, stand around the Banquet Table in total equality.

OPENING DAYS for KidsRelig

KidsRelig will begin on Tuesday, September 28, Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30. The weekly schedule remains the same:

Tues. 2:45-3:45 (Bell)

3:45-4:45 (Westorchard)

Wed. 3:45-4:45 (Grafflin)

Thurs. 2:45-3:45 (Seven Bridges)

3:45-4:45 (Roaring Brook)

REGISTRATION for KidsRelig

Registration Emails have gone out to everyone who was with us last year and all those who have sent First Grader or First Timer emails to kidsrelig@optimum.net . Many have logged on to the Online Registration Form and submitted the very important data requested. (At this writing, over 160.) Of those, many have completed registration by mailing payment and the permission slip. I estimate that we should have an enrollment this year of approximately 490. That means, I haven’t heard from a lot of people.

If you have not received a Registration Email, contact me immediately at kidsrelig@optimum.net.

One or two email addresses in our Address Book have been reported as wrong or outdated. This may be the reason you did not receive a Registration Email. If that’s you, it’s very important that you email us with your new email address.

FIRST GRADERS AND FIRST-TIMERS

Before you do anything, email the following information to kidsrelig@optimum.net:

· Child’s Name

· Grade & School

· Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Name(s)

· Address &Phone

BUS INFORMATION EMAIL BLAST

A separate Email Blast will go out this week with bus information. (I was going to send separate emails, but time is of the essence.) It will be sent to all KidsRelig Families, but it only applies to those in Seven Bridges, Westorchard, Grafflin and Roaring Brook. Attached to the email will be a PDF form for bus registration. There will be fee information and an explanation of how to complete the bus registration process.

Remember the Religious Education page on the Parish Website: http://sjsmrcc.com/ .